BeReal is the latest photo-sharing app to take the internet by storm. But, what is it and how does it differ from the other social media platforms currently dominating the app store?
Scroll down to discover everything you need to know about BeReal, including what it is, how it works, what a “RealMoji” is and how the app makes its money.
What is BeReal?
BeReal is a French social media platform in which every single user is notified to capture and share a photo during the same 2-minute period every day.
While everyone recieves the push notification at the same time, the time of day that notification arrives varies wildly. This means that one day you could be told to “be real” at 8am and the next day it could be 11pm.
Not only does the app take a photo from your back camera, but it also takes one from your front camera too. This means you don’t need to choose between sharing a selfie and showing your friends what you’re up to at that moment. You can switch between the two views by tapping on the screen.
The idea behind the app is to encourage people to share more realistic snapshots of their lives that don’t feel cherry-picked or curated in the way that content you share on Instagram, Twitter or even Snapchat might do.
What happens if you don’t post on BeReal?
You can’t see your friends’ BeReals or the Discovery public page until you post your own, meaning the only way to get involved on any given day is to “be real” yourself.
So, what if you miss the 2-minute warning?
Nothing, really. You can continue to post your BeReal and unlock your friends’ posts later in the day. Just be aware that your post will be marked as “X-hr late”, meaning everyone will know you haven’t really been real.
What is a RealMoji?
RealMojis are essentially BeReal post reactions.
However, unlike other apps, BeReal encourages users to react with photos of their own faces instead of the traditional cartoonish emojis.
To respond to a BeReal with a RealMoji, all you need to do is press the smiley face icon in the bottom right of the post or double tap anywhere on the BeReal itself.
There’s also a comment section below every BeReal for those looking to start up a conversation.
How does BeReal make money?
BeReal is reportedly financed by investors at the moment, which isn’t an unusual way for a social media platform to start out.
This means you won’t need to pay any subscription fee to use the service and the app isn’t filled with ads. However, that doesn’t mean BeReal won’t introduce a monetization strategy in the future as its userbase grows.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
